True Life

City girl Nicola Ross-Watt, 33, from Scotland, gave Brazilian cowboys a run for their money

‘I don’t believe there’s any job in the world that a strong, determined woman can’t do, and when I got the chance to put my theory to the test I jumped at it.

My challenge was to be a cowboy in Brazil, something unheard of for a woman. I thought there was nothing I couldn’t handle. Not only do I have a pressurised job as a management consultant, but I’m a top cross-country horsewoman — a good, hardy Scot who’s used to battling the elements. However, nothing prepared me for what I was about to face.

My fellow cowgirls were lawyer Laura and showjumper Gemma. We were told very little about our two-week trip. The destination was a remote ranch in southwest Brazil. It’s a hostile wilderness…’